Chick Fil A to stop funding anti-gay marriage groups

Chick-fil-A stopped funding traditional-marriage groups in an effort to open a new Chicago restaurant, but the company initially kept quiet about the decision, prompting gay rights groups to speculate that the company feared a backlash from conservative customers.

The Christian-rooted fast food restaurant agreed to stop funding groups such as Focus on the Family that oppose same-sex marriage in a meeting with the Chicago politician who had been blocking the company's move there. Chick-fil-A wrote a letter to Alderman Joe Moreno affirming this, according to his spokesman, Matt Bailey, but the company initially wouldn't allow his office to release the letter to the public. Three weeks later they relented.

"There was concern from them," said Anthony Martinez, executive director for the Civil Rights Agenda, the Illinois lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender group that negotiated with both Chick-fil-A and the alderman to stop funding for so-called anti-gay groups. "They really didn't want to announce it, really, but, of course, the alderman needed to clarify why he was changing his stance on them opening a restaurant within his ward."

Chick-fil-A did not returns requests for comment, and has previously said it will not discuss the issue with the media.

Mr. Martinez said Chick-fil-A told the alderman they will no longer fund groups that support traditional marriage through their charity arm, the WinShape Foundation, and will instead use that money toward educational programs and food donations.

"The WinShape Foundations is now taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping, and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not supporting organizations with political agendas," Chick-fil-A wrote in the letter.

I wouldn't come down too hard on Chick Fil A. The decision not to fund anti-gay marriage groups was a business decision - dollars and cents. They had to weigh what they might gain in goodwill against how many dollars would be lost if they were prevented from expanding.

In this instance, it appears they came down on the side of increasing profit. It's hard to criticize a company for making that choice.

Chick-fil-A stopped funding traditional-marriage groups in an effort to open a new Chicago restaurant, but the company initially kept quiet about the decision, prompting gay rights groups to speculate that the company feared a backlash from conservative customers.

The Christian-rooted fast food restaurant agreed to stop funding groups such as Focus on the Family that oppose same-sex marriage in a meeting with the Chicago politician who had been blocking the company's move there. Chick-fil-A wrote a letter to Alderman Joe Moreno affirming this, according to his spokesman, Matt Bailey, but the company initially wouldn't allow his office to release the letter to the public. Three weeks later they relented.

"There was concern from them," said Anthony Martinez, executive director for the Civil Rights Agenda, the Illinois lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender group that negotiated with both Chick-fil-A and the alderman to stop funding for so-called anti-gay groups. "They really didn't want to announce it, really, but, of course, the alderman needed to clarify why he was changing his stance on them opening a restaurant within his ward."

Chick-fil-A did not returns requests for comment, and has previously said it will not discuss the issue with the media.

Mr. Martinez said Chick-fil-A told the alderman they will no longer fund groups that support traditional marriage through their charity arm, the WinShape Foundation, and will instead use that money toward educational programs and food donations.

"The WinShape Foundations is now taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping, and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not supporting organizations with political agendas," Chick-fil-A wrote in the letter.

I wouldn't come down too hard on Chick Fil A. The decision not to fund anti-gay marriage groups was a business decision - dollars and cents. They had to weigh what they might gain in goodwill against how many dollars would be lost if they were prevented from expanding.

In this instance, it appears they came down on the side of increasing profit. It's hard to criticize a company for making that choice.